Ribbon-feeding mechanism.



.9,6448-lll.j 1, 'i

Original application led April 12, 190,9,

Roinnrn. yomits ANDALBERTLCQEFMAN, or- KANsAsciTY, MISSOURI, yAssIGfNoItsfro CORPORATION or THE TERRITORY or NEW Mexico.,

T01 :all whom it may concern:

Bel'itiknoivn that We, ROBERT B. CRAIG and .ALBERT ,Corrirang citizens of the United States, and residents of Kansas City, in the county of Jackson, 4State of Missouri, have invented certainneiv and' useful Improve' ments in Ribbon-Feeding- Mechanism, of

n Which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a ribbon feeding mechanism for, coin controlled machines, and is particularly adapted to that type of machine disclosed. in our copending applicationdayted April 12, 1909,v and bearing Serial No. 489,457, and of which case the .present application formsa division.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a mechanism ofthe type in question which embodies a minimum number of parts and which shall be positive in its operations and at all times keep the ribbon at the proper tension.

The further purpose of the present invention is to provide the mechanism With such means as will render the same entirely automatic in its operations, and which aut-omatic means is such that it eifects the reversal of the ribbon on the univinding of either spool, and'which in its time for shifting occurs just at the moment that. either spool has become entirely unwound.

lVith these as its essential advantages, the invention embodies other points of advantage Which will be clear in the course ofthe following extended description, and the points of novelty thereof are set forth inv the appended claims.'

In ,the accompanying drawing which illustrates the preferred structure of the mechanism, Figure 1 is a side elevation thereof, and, Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Referring to the parts of the mechanism in detail and wherein like numerals of reference indicate correspondingparts in both views shown, 73 indicates the ribbon which is Wound upon a pair of bobbins 132 each provided with a ratchet 133 with which cooperate a pair of oscillating arms 134 and 134 whose ends are designed to constitute pawls 135. The arms 134 and 134 are pivotally secured at a common point 136 on a disk 137. that is in turn centrally pivoted to a reciprocating. bar 138, which bar is mounted upon the upper ends of a pair of parallel VSpeciiiication of Letters Patent.

Alatenten July 19,1910. y Serial No. 489,457. l Divided and this application led August 24, 1909. Serial No. 514,457.

arms 140 pro J ecting from rbcking -shafts, 141,

one of which has an arm 142 connected by a pitman 143 with that part of the machine which effects the actuation of the ribbon mechanism. The disk 137 is provided with a pair of notches 145 adapted to receive a detent 146 Whose function is yto hold said d1sku137fagainst rotation during the reciprocation of thebar 138 and thereby keep one of the paivls 135 in position toengage the teeth of its respective ratchet for actuating the same, and at the same time to keep the oppositepawl free from engagelnent'v'ith its ratchet.

Then the ribbon is Wholly univound from the bobbin opposite to that upon' which it is being wound, and' its end is anchored fast to the empty bobbin, the resistance of the engaged ratchet with its paWl causes the active arm 134 or 134 to pull upon the disk 137 and partially rotate the same. The detent 146 then engages With the other notch 145 and thereby brings the'opposite pavvl into engaging position With its respective ratchet, and at the same time releases the just active paivl and thus reverses the direction-of feed of the ribbon. This operation of the ribbon reversing means occurs automatically Whenever the ribbon has reached the limit of its feed inone direction.`

Having thus described our invention, what We claim as new and desire to, secure by Let- .ters Patent, is

1. A ribbon feeding mechanism compris 'ing winding spools, ratchets having driving connection with said spools, a reciprocating bar` having a pair of independent arms pivoted thereon and provided with pawl members, said arms being supported at their free ends by said ratchets, means for shifting the position of said arms wherebythe pawls may alternately engage the ratchets of the spools, and'means for actuating said reciprocating bar whereby to feed the ribbon. 2. A ribbon feeding mechanism comprising Winding spools, ratchets having'driving connection therewith, a reciprocating bar having a disk pivoted thereon, al pair of arms pivoted to said disk and provided with paivl members, said paivls adapted to alter- 4nately engage .the ratchets of the spools, means for holdingl said pawls in operative and inoperativeposition, andl means for actuating the reciprocating bar whereby to y Yfeed the ribbon.

3. A ribbon feeding mechanism comprising Winding spools, ratchets having ,driving connection therewith, a reciprocating bar having a disk pivoted thereto intermediate its4 ends, a pair of arms mounted on a common pin, carried byv saiddlsk, sald arms having their opposite ends designed to pro- .4.A A ribbon feeding mechanism compris-l ing Winding spools, ratchets havingdriving connection therewith, a recvlprocatmg bar having' a disk pivoted thereon, a pair of arms ,pivoted-on al common pin mounted on 'said disk, said arms having their opposite ends y,designed to provide pawl members, said pawls' adapted to'alternately engage the ratchets of the spools for feeding the ribbon, a detent engaging said disk whereby 2 5 to hold V,said pawls in operative and inoperative position, and means for actnatin the reciprocating bar whereby to feed the ri bon.

5. A ribbon vfeeding mechanism comprising Winding spools, ratchets having driving connection therewith, a reciprocatingbar having a disk mounted thereon, apair of arms pivotedl on a common pin mounted on said disk and provided with pawl members, said pawls adapted to alternately lengage the ratchets of the spools on the tensioning of the ribbon on the unwinding of one of. the spools,said diskprovided with a detent for holding the saidv paWls in operative and inoperative position and permitting the same to 'have shifting movement.

.The foregoing specification signed at Dayton Ohio thisQnd day of July, 1909. ROBERT B. CRAIG. ALBERT COFFMAN. In presence of- H. M. WALSH, H. BRAUM. 

